Aathi: Vijay’s biggest flop?

As we had written earlier, 2006 is turning out to be a nightmare for `Ilayathalapathi` Vijay! His home production Aathi released for Pongal has turned out to be the biggest disaster in recent times at the box-office.

If further proof is required, it has come in the form of a press conference by Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur Mavatta Thiraiarangam Urimaiyalargal Sangam (TMTUS), an exhibitors organization who have demanded compensation for the loss they have incurred by screening his Aathi.

Said Kanappan, Secretary of TMTUS: “When films of top actors like Rajni, Vijaykanth, T.Rajendar, Kamal Hassan and Mani Ratnam flopped in the past , they quietly paid us back a part of our losses as we have paid distributors high Minimimum Guarantee (MG). Normally people like Rajni sir had compensated us immediately after Baba flopped. Aathi is Vijay’s home production but the actor is refusing to compensate us”.

Kannappan says that it is more a trade practice than any legal issue. Added Kannappan: “If Vijay does not compensate now, we will move against him when his next film releases by not giving MG’s”. In fact Vijay’s dad S.A.Chandrasekharaa wrote a letter stating that the film has been sold to Pankaj Mehta and that he nor Vijay has any agreement with the theatre owners that further irked TMTUS. Says Kannappan: “How could he say that ? We not only paid huge MG but also suffered heavy loses as the film did not release on Pongal Day”!

Aathi has turned out to be Vijay’s biggest flop since Puthiya Geethai in 2003. SAC has proved again that his is unlucky when he teams with his superstar son. In fact the grapevine is abuzz with rumours that father and son has difference of opinion over mode of compensation to distributors.

In the case of theatres affiliated with TMTUS, they paid MG to a third party distributors and not Pankaj Mehta who had purchased the NSC area for a whopping Rs 3.5 Crore. Mehta later split NSC and sold it to third party distributors and is said to have made profit of Rs 1 Crore from the deal. Now everybody is washing their hands off Aathi and now Vijay has to face the music!